Convertible Crib Bed

ABSTRACT

A crib, which is convertible into a toddler bed and a standard bed, has four panels forming an enclosure around a mattress. The toddler bed is formed by removing a section of one of the panels such that the mattress is accessible along one side of the toddler bed. The standard bed is formed by reconfiguring two of the panels forming the enclosure around the crib mattress into two side rails. The side rails are then installed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other between the two other panels. The two other panels may form a headboard and a footboard for the standard bed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/057,300, filed Mar. 27, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/920,424, filed Mar. 27, 2007 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, including but not limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter, the incorporation by reference being made with the following exception: In the event that any portion of the above-referenced provisional application is inconsistent with this application, this application supercedes said above-referenced provisional application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. The Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to an infant's crib, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to an infant's crib adapted for convertibility into a standard bed.

2. Description of Related Art

Prior to the present disclosure, infant cribs have been developed which are convertible into beds. These “convertible cribs” are convenient because, as an infant grows into a toddler, the crib may be converted into a bed thus eliminating the need to purchase a new bed or store the crib.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,427 (granted Aug. 13, 1991 to Golden) discloses a convertible crib that converts into a youth bed. The device as described uses the same mattress for the crib and the youth bed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,974 (granted Dec. 29, 1992 to Proano et al.) discloses an article of furniture which is convertible to form a crib, a youth bed, and an adult bed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,631 (granted Sep. 15, 1992 to Deal) discloses a convertible bed assembly for providing a crib, toddler bed, and a twin bed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,846 (granted Jan. 7, 1992 to Wheeler, III et al.) discloses a crib structure assembly which is convertible to form a bed.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0229306 (published Oct. 20, 2005 to Briere) discloses a crib which is convertible into a plurality of other furniture pieces.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0005352 (published Jan. 13, 2005 to Waldman et al.) discloses a bed assembly convertible from a crib to a toddler bed to a full size bed.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,412 (granted Oct. 1, 1968 to Gottfried et al.) discloses a crib bed which is convertible into a youth bed, an adult bed, and a couch.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,597 (granted May 29, 1984 to Hull) discloses a crib which is convertible into a youth bed.

U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2005/0022302 (granted Feb. 3, 2005 to Johnson) discloses a crib that may be converted into a variety of other conventional beds.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,347(granted Sep. 5, 2000 to Tharalson et al.) discloses a bedside crib that attaches to a parental bed that may be easily converted for use as a child's easel, couch, bassinet or toy display/storage device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,551 (granted Feb. 10, 1998 to Proano et al.) discloses an article of furniture which may be configured in the form of a crib, a youth bed, and an adult bed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,190 (granted Nov. 17, 1992 to Hwang) discloses a multipurpose built-up crib.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0229306 (published Oct. 20, 2005 to Briere) discloses a crib which is convertible into a plurality of furniture pieces.

International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/009174 (published Feb. 3, 2005) discloses a crib which is convertible into a plurality of furniture pieces.

International Patent Publication No. WO 2004/071245 (published Aug. 26, 2004) discloses a convertible piece of furniture which can be converted into other common-use articles of furniture.

Despite the advantages of previously available convertible cribs, improvements are still being sought. For example, many of the previously available convertible cribs require the purchase of additional parts, such as bed side rails, to convert the crib into a bed. Other convertible cribs are not fully convertible in that they do not use all of the crib parts to form the bed thereby still requiring storage of the unused parts. Similar storage issues arise when the consumer seeks to convert the bed back into a crib, in that the quite-lengthy bed rails used to span the length of a standard mattress will now have to be stored separately. The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.

The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in a crib configuration;

FIGS. 2A-2C depict a coupler suitable for use with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in a toddler bed configuration;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in a toddler bed configuration with a mattress installed;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present disclosure in a standard bed configuration;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present disclosure in a standard bed configuration with a box spring and mattress;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the standard bed shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the crib shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is a top view of the standard bed shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.

In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below. As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

Applicant has discovered a convertible article of furniture that is configurable between a crib configuration for infants, a toddler-bed configuration for toddlers, and a standard-bed configuration for youths and adults. The crib configuration may be characterized by a mattress enclosed on all sides by a wall. The wall enclosing the mattress may operate to protect an infant from falling off of the mattress. The toddler-bed configuration may be characterized by a mattress enclosed on all sides but one. The standard-bed configuration may be characterized as a conventional bed arrangement that may include a pair of side rails installed between a headboard and a footboard.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is depicted a convertible bed 10 pursuant to an embodiment of the present disclosure configured as a crib 12 for an infant. A panel 14, a panel 16, a panel 18, and a panel 20 may be arranged to form a rectangular enclosure around a mattress 22. The panel 14 and the panel 16 may be arranged to form a front of the enclosure and a rear of the enclosure, respectively, while the panel 18 and 20 may form a left and right side, respectively, of the enclosure. The panels 14 and 16 may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. Likewise, the panels 18 and 20 may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship.

The panel 14 may include a rail 24 and a rail 26 extending between a side member 28 and a side member 30. The rails 24 and 26 may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. Likewise, the side members 28 and 30 may also be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. The rail 24 forms a part of a top rail of the crib 12 and the rail 26 forms a part of a bottom rail of the crib 12. The distance between the rails 24 and 26 may be sufficient to prevent an infant standing in the crib 12 from falling or climbing out and may further need to comply with applicable safety guidelines. Extending between the rails 24 and 26 may be a plurality of spaced apart and substantially parallel slats 32. The size of the spacing between the slats 32 may also need to conform with applicable crib safety guidelines.

The rail 24 may be secured to the side member 30 by a fastener (not shown) inserted through a bore 34 in the side member 30. The rail 26 may be secured to the side member 30 by a fastener (not shown) inserted through a bore 36 in the side member 30. The rails 24 and 26 may be secured to the side member 28 in a similar manner.

As mentioned, the panel 16 may form the rear of the enclosure surrounding the mattress 22. The panel 16 may include a center portion 38 that may be supported by two side members 40 and 42. It will be appreciated that the center portion 38 may be solid as shown in FIG. 1 or may be slated or may be any other variation that meets applicable child safety standards. The center portion 38 of the panel 16 may extend between the two side members 40 and 42. The center portion 38 may be secured to side member 40 by fasteners (not shown) inserted into bores 44 and 46. The center portion 38 may be secured to side member 42 in a similar manner. The height of the center portion 38 may be regulated by applicable crib safety guidelines. A top edge 48 of the center portion 38 may include a decorative curvature and form part of the top rail of the crib 12.

The panel 18 may be formed of a pair of semi-panels 18A and 18B. The semi-panels 18A and 18B may be joined together to form the panel 18. The semi-panel 18A may include a rail 50, a rail 52, and a side member 54. The rails 50 and 52 may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. A terminal end of the rails 50 and 52 may be connected to the side member 54 by fasteners (not shown). Extending between the rails 50 and 52 may be a plurality of slats 56. The slats 56 may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. The spacing between the slats 56 may be dictated by applicable crib safety guidelines. The spacing between the rails 50 and 52 may also be dictated by applicable crib safety guidelines.

The semi-panel 18B may also include a rail 58, a rail 60, and a side member 62. The rails 58 and 60 may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. A terminal end of the rails 58 and 60 may be connected to the side member 62 by fasteners (not shown). Extending between the rails 58 and 60 may be a plurality of slats 64. The slats may be disposed in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship. The spacing between the slats 64 may be dictated by applicable crib safety guidelines. The spacing between the rails 58 and 60 may also be dictated by applicable crib safety guidelines.

The rails 50 and 58 of the semi-panels 18A and 18B, respectively, may be joined using a coupler 66 to thereby form the panel 18. As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, the coupler 66 may be substantially L-shaped and included a pair of threaded bores 68. Fasteners 70 inserted through the bores 72 and into threaded bores 68 may secure the coupler 66 to the rails 50 and 58. The bores 72 may include counterbores as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C for flush mounting. Referring back to FIG. 1, the rails 52 and 60 of the semi-panels 18A and 18B, respectively, may be coupled using another coupler 66. The joined rails 50 and 58 may form part of the top rail of the crib 12 and the joined rails 52 and 60 may form a bottom rail of the crib 12.

The panel 20 may include semi-panels 20A and 20B that are similar in configuration to the semi-panels 18A and 18B of the panel 18, including the use of couplers 66 to join the semi-panels 20A and 20B together to thereby form a sidewall of the crib 12.

The panels 14, 16, 18 and 20 may be secured together end-to-end using fasteners to form the rectangular enclosure around the mattress 22. The panels 18 and 20 may extend perpendicularly between the panels 14 and 16. For example, panel 14 may be secured to panel 18 using fasteners (not shown) inserted through bores 74 and 76 in the side member 30 and into the side member 62. Thus, it will be appreciated that the panels 14, 16, 18 and 20 may be disassembled from the rectangular configuration depicted in FIG. 1. A plurality of slats 78 may extend from a bottom rail of the panel 18, formed by rails 52 and 60, to a bottom rail of the panel 20. The slats 78 may be secured to the panels 18 and 20 using fasteners 80.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an exploded view of the convertible bed 10 in the crib configuration 12. Panel 14 may be secured to panels 18 and 20 by fasteners 80 such that panels 18 and 20 are substantially perpendicular to panel 14. Panel 16 may be secured to the panels 18 and 20 by fasteners 80 such that panels 18 and 20 are substantially perpendicular to panel 18. Slats 78 may be secured to the bottom rail of panels 18 and 20 by fasteners 80. Semi-panels 18A and 18B may be joined by couplers 66 to form panel 18. Semi-panels 20A and 20B may be joined by couplers 66 to form panel 20.

Disposed on each of the inner surfaces of the side members 28 and 30 of panel 14 and on each of the inner surfaces of the side members 40 and 42 of panel 16 is a frame mount 82 (note that the frame mounts 82 on side members 28 and 30 are not visible). The frame mounts 82 are operable to mount a support frame 106 (see FIG. 5) for the mattress 22. The support frame 106 is mounted in a substantially horizontal orientation for supporting the mattress 22. The frame mounts 82 may each include four mounting locations such that the height of the mattress 22 may be varied.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is depicted the convertible bed 10 pursuant to an embodiment of the present disclosure configured as a toddler bed 100. To convert the bed 10 from the crib 12 to the toddler bed 100, the panel 14 may be partially disassembled as depicted in FIG. 4. In particular, the rails 24 and 26 are detached from the side members 28 and 30 of the panel 14 by removing the fasteners 80. The side member 30 remains attached to the side member 62 of the panel 18 and the side member 28 remains attached to a side member 102 of the panel 20. Once detached, the rails 24 and 26, along with the slats 32, are placed on top of the slats 78 extending between the panels 18 and 20 where it can be conveniently stored for future use. It will be noted that the support frame 106 and the crib mattress 22 may not need to be removed to place the removed portion of front panel 14 on top of slats 78 as there may be enough room for the removed portion of panel 14 to slide between the slats 78 and the support frame 106.

Referring now to FIG. 5, with the rails 24 and 26, along with the slats 32, placed on the slats 78 for storage, the support frame 106 may be installed onto the toddler bed 100, if not already in place. The mattress 22 may then be placed upon the support frame 106, if not already in place. With the rails 24 and 26, along with the slats 32, removed and stored under the support frame 106 and on the slats 78, the front of the toddler bed 100 may be open to thereby permit easy access to the mattress 22 by a toddler.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is depicted the convertible bed 10 configured as a standard bed 110. As used herein, the term “standard bed” may mean a twin bed. The panel 14 may form the footboard of the bed 110 while the panel 16 may form the headboard of the bed 110. The panel 18 may be disassembled into its constituent semi-panels 18A and 18B. The side member 62 of the semi-panel 18B and the side member of the semi-panel 18A may be joined end-to-end by the couplers 66 to thereby form a side rail 112 of the bed 110. The side rail 112 may extend laterally between the panels 14 and 16. In a similar fashion, a side rail 114 of the bed 110 may be formed from the semi-panels 20A and 20B of the panel 20. The side rail 114 may also extend between the panels 14 and 16.

The slats 78 may be installed in a spaced apart and parallel manner between the side rails 112 and 114. In this configuration, the slats 78 may serve as a support for a box spring 116 and a mattress 118 as shown in FIG. 7. The smaller mattress 22 for the crib 12 and the toddler bed 100 may be stored under the box spring 116 and the mattress 118 by hanging the support frame 106 for the mattress 22 between two of the slats 78 as shown in FIG. 6. In this manner, the mattress 22 and frame 106 may be hidden from sight and remain with the convertible bed 10 thereby eliminating the need for separate storage.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is depicted an exploded view of the convertible bed 10 configured as the standard bed 110. Fasteners 80 (not all separately numbered) may be used to attach the semi-panel 18B to the panel 16. Fasteners 80 may be used to attached the semi-panel 18A to the panel 14. Fasteners 80 may be used to attach the semi-panel 20B to the panel 16. Fasteners 80 may be used to attach the semi-panel 20A to the panel 14.

A pair of couplers 66 may couple the side members 62 and 54 together using fasteners 70 (not all separately numbered) in a similar manner to that depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C to thereby form the side rail 112 as shown in FIG. 6. The semi-panels 20B and 20A may be coupled in a similar manner through the use of another pair of couplers 66 and fasteners 70.

The two slats 78 nearest the panel 16 may be connected to the semi-panels 18B and 20B by fasteners 80. The two slats 78 nearest the panel 14 may be connected to the semi-panels 18A and 18B by fasteners 80. The frame 106 may be suspended between the two slats 78 nearest the panel 16 by arms 108 and fasteners 120.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 7, the height of the panels 18 and 20, represented by the double arrows marked with the reference numeral 122 shown in FIG. 1, may be approximately one-half of the length of the side rails 112 and 114, represented by the double arrows marked with the reference numeral 124 shown in FIG. 7. It will be further appreciated that the length of the side rails 112 and 114 may be approximately the same length as, or just slightly larger than, the lengths of the box spring 116 and mattress 118. Thus, the ratio of the height 122 of the panels 18 and 20 to the length 124 of the side rails 112 and 114 may be approximately 0.5. Correspondingly, the ratio of the height 122 of the panels 18 and 20 to the length of the box spring 116 and the mattress 118 may be approximately 0.5. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, this ratio may vary by up to 10-15%. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, this ratio may vary by up to 20%.

It will be appreciated that to convert the bed 10 from the crib 12 shown in FIG. 1 to the standard bed 110 shown in FIG. 7, the panels 18 and 20 may be disassembled into their constituent semi-panels 18A and 18B and semi-panels 20A and 20B, respectively. (It will be noted that each of the semi-panels 18A and 18B and each of the semi-panels 20A and 20B may form one-half of the panels 18 and 20, respectively.) Once disassembled, the semi-panels 18A and 18B may be rotated ninety degrees and the side members 54 and 62 may be joined end-to-end to form the side rail 112. Likewise, once disassembled, the semi-panels 20A and 20B may be rotated by approximately ninety degrees such that their side members may be joined end-to-end to form the side rail 114. It will be appreciated that the use of the panels 18 and 20 to form the side rails 112 and 114 of the standard bed eliminates the need for traditional side rails, which may have to be purchased and shipped separately from the bed 10.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mattress 22 used in the crib 12 may be approximately 51⅝″ long by 27¼″ wide. As mentioned, the dimensions of the enclosure of the crib 12 formed by the panels 14, 16, 18 and 20 may need to comply with federally-regulated and industry-supported safety standards that regulate that the inside dimensions of the enclosure of the crib 12 must not exceed certain dimensions greater than the mattress 22. These safety standards prohibit gaps larger than a specified distance between the mattress 22 and the enclosure formed by the panels 14, 16, 18, and 20. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interior distance between the panels 14 and 16 may be no more than 28⅞″, and no less than 27¼″, to thereby accommodate the width of the mattress 22. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interior lateral distance between the two panels 18 and 20 may be no more than 52 13/16″, and no less than 51⅝″, to thereby accommodate the length of the mattress 22. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dimensions of the box spring 116 and the mattress 118 may be approximately 75″ long by 53″ wide or approximately 75″ long by 54″ wide.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is depicted a top view of the bed 10 configured as the crib 12 and a top view of the bed 10 configured as the standard bed 110, respectively. As can be observed in FIG. 9, the outermost ends of the panels 18 and 20 may be secured in an abutting relationship to an inner surface 126 of the panel 16 and inner surface 128 of the panel 14. As can be observed in FIG. 10, a side 130 of the side rail 112, formed from the semi-panels 18A and 18B, may be secured in an abutting relationship to an outermost end of each the panels 14 and 16. As can be further observed in FIG. 10, a side 132 of the side rail 114, formed from the semi-panels 20A and 20B, may be secured in an abutting relationship to an outermost end of each of the panels 14 and 16. Thus, it will be appreciated that the panels 18 and 20 are mounted to a different location on the panels 14 and 16 than the side rails 112 and 114. In particular, the distance between the panels 18 and 20 while the bed 10 is configured as the crib 12 may be such to accommodate the length of the mattress 22. On the other hand, the distance between the side rails 112 and 114 while the bed 10 is configured as the standard bed 110 may be such to accommodate the width of the mattress 118. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance between the panels 18 and 20 while the bed 10 is configured as the crib 12 may be no more than approximately 52 13/16″, and no less than 51⅝″. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance between the side rails 112 and 114 while the bed 10 is configured as the standard bed 110 may be greater than approximately 53″ or 54″. Again, accommodating the different sized mattresses 22 and 118 may be accomplished by the different mounting locations of the panels 18 and 20 and the side rails 112 and 114 with respect to the panels 14 and 16.

The height of the panels 18 and 20, represented by the double arrows marked with the reference numeral 122 shown in FIG. 1, may be just greater than approximately one-half of the length of the mattress 118. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the height of the panels 18 and 20 may be approximately 39″ each, such that when the panels 18 and 20 are reconfigured into the side rails 112 and 114, the length of the side rails 112 and 114 are approximately 78″ each. The minimum height of the panels 18 and 20 may be no less than one-half of the length of the mattress 118.

The mounting locations of the side rails 112 and 114 to the outermost ends of the panels 14 and 16 may accommodate longer side rails 112 and 114, where the excess lengths of the side rails 112 and 114 protrude beyond the panels 14 and 16. Further, because the panels 18 and 20 may be disassembled into semi-panels 18A and 18B and semi-panels 20A and 20B, respectively, it will be appreciated that the height of the side rails 112 and 114 off of the ground, may be one-half of the width of the panels 18 and 20, respectively.

Despite the relationship of the width of the semi-panels 18A and 18B and the semi-panels 20A and 20B to the height of the side rails 112 and 114 (off of the ground), the height of the mattress 118 is independently determined by the slats 78 upon which the box spring 116 resides. The slats 78 are secured to the side rails 112 and 114 by fasteners 80 and pairs of bores 134 in the side rails 112 and 114 as seen in FIG. 8. The location of these bores 134 in the side rails 112 and 114 may be raised or lowered to vary the height of the mattress 118 off of the ground.

It will be appreciated that the present disclosure may reduce the packaging and shipping costs due to the elimination of traditional side rails for the standard bed 110. Further, the present disclosure is an improvement over the prior art due to the elimination of the need to store parts separately from the bed 10 that are not being used. The present disclosure is further an advancement of the prior art due to the ability to convert the panels 18 and 20 into the side rails 112 and 114. The present disclosure is an improvement over the prior art due to the reduction of materials needed to form a crib 12, a toddler bed 100 and a standard bed 110, which all use the same primary components. The present disclosure is also an improvement over the prior art due to the ability to reduce manufacturing time because of the elimination of the need to separately produce side rails for the standard bed 110. The present disclosure is further an improvement of the prior art to reduce needed storage space due to the elimination of separate side rails for the standard bed 110.

Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provided by the features of the present disclosure. For example, it is a feature of the present disclosure to provide an article of furniture that is convertible between a crib, a toddler bed, and a standard bed.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein. 

1. An article of convertible furniture, comprising: a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel each comprising a pair of side members: said first panel and said second panel each configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration; wherein the side members of each the first panel and the second panel are spaced apart and vertically oriented in the first configuration: wherein the side members of each the first panel and the second panel are joined end to end and horizontally oriented in the second configuration: wherein the first panel and the second panel form at least part of an enclosure of an infant's crib while each is in the first configuration; and wherein the first panel and the second panel each form a side rail of a standard bed while each is in the second configuration.
 2. The article of convertible furniture of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slats, said slats extending between, and abutting against, the side rails of the standard bed.
 3. The article of convertible furniture of claim 1, wherein the first panel and the second panel each comprises a pair of semi-panels.
 4. The article of convertible furniture of claim 3, wherein each of the pairs of semi-panels is joined in a first orientation in the first configuration and is joined in a second orientation in the second configuration.
 5. The article of convertible furniture of claim 4, further comprising at least one coupler for coupling each of the pairs of semi-panels together in the first orientation and the second orientation.
 6. The article of convertible furniture of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second panels comprises a first rail [,] and a second rail extending from each of the side members, and a plurality of slats extending between the first and second rails.
 7. The article of convertible furniture of claim 1, further comprising a third panel and a fourth panel, said third panel and said fourth panel forming at least part of the enclosure of the infant's crib in combination with the first panel and the second panel.
 8. The article of convertible furniture of claim 7, wherein said third panel and fourth panel are further operable to form a headboard and a footboard, respectively, of the standard bed.
 9. The article of convertible furniture of claim 8, wherein said first panel and said second panel extend between said third panel and said fourth panel while forming at least part of the enclosure of the crib and while forming the side rails of the standard bed.
 10. The article of convertible furniture of claim 7, wherein said first panel in the first configuration, said second panel in the first configuration, and said third panel are operable to form a partial enclosure of a toddler's bed.
 11. (canceled)
 12. (canceled)
 13. The article of convertible furniture of claim 1, wherein said infant's crib comprises a first mattress and said standard bed comprises a second mattress, wherein said first mattress and said second mattress have different dimensions.
 14. The article of convertible furniture of claim 13, wherein said standard bed further comprises a box spring.
 15. An article of convertible furniture, comprising: a first panel and a second panel, said first panel and said second panel each having a pair of semi-panels configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration; wherein each of the pair of semi-panels are coupled together in the first configuration and the second configuration: wherein each of the pairs of semi-panels is convertible from the first configuration to the second orientation by uncoupling the semi-panels from each other and rotating each of the semi-panels by approximately ninety-degrees and re-coupling them together; wherein the first panel and the second panel form at least part of an enclosure of an infant's crib while each is in the first configuration; and wherein the first panel and the second panel each form a side rail of a standard bed while each is in the second configuration.
 16. The article of convertible furniture of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of slats, said slats extending between, and abutting against, the side rails of the standard bed.
 17. The article of convertible furniture of claim 15, wherein each of said first and second panels comprises a first rail, a second rail, and a plurality of slats extending between the first and second rails.
 18. The article of convertible furniture of claim 15, further comprising a third panel and a fourth panel, said third panel and said fourth panel forming at least part of the enclosure of the infant's crib in combination with the first panel and the second panel.
 19. The article of convertible furniture of claim 18, wherein said third panel and fourth panel are further operable to form a headboard and a footboard, respectively, of the standard bed.
 20. The article of convertible furniture of claim 18, wherein said first panel and said second panel extend between said third panel and said fourth panel while forming at least part of the enclosure of the crib and while forming the side rails of the standard bed.
 21. The article of convertible furniture of claim 15, further comprising a third panel, wherein said first panel in the first configuration, said second panel in the first configuration, and said third panel are operable to form a partial enclosure of a toddler's bed.
 22. The article of convertible furniture of claim 15, wherein each semi-panel comprises a side member, wherein said side member is vertically oriented when forming part of the infant's crib.
 23. The article of convertible furniture of claim 22, wherein said side member is horizontally oriented when forming part of one of the side rails of the standard bed.
 24. An article of convertible furniture, comprising: a plurality of panels defining an enclosure around a mattress of an infant's crib; wherein said plurality of panels are reconfigurable to thereby form a standard bed; and wherein said standard bed comprises a storage location for said mattress of the infant's crib; further comprising a frame for supporting the mattress of the infant's crib; further comprising a plurality of slats for forming a support for a mattress of the standard bed, wherein said frame is suspended from said slats to thereby form said storage location.
 25. (canceled)
 26. (canceled)
 27. The article of convertible furniture of claim 24, wherein said storage location is disposed beneath a box spring of said standard bed.
 28. The article of convertible furniture of claim 24, wherein said plurality of panels are reconfigurable to thereby form a toddler's bed.
 29. The article of convertible furniture of claim 24, wherein a pair of the plurality of panels are reconfigurable to form a pair of side rails of the standard bed.
 30. The article of convertible furniture of claim 24, wherein one of the plurality of panels forms a headboard of the standard bed.
 31. The article of convertible furniture of claim 24, wherein one of the plurality of panels forms a footboard of the standard bed.
 32. An article of convertible furniture, comprising: a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel each comprising a pair of side members having a pair of spaced apart rails extending therefrom, each of the rails terminating at a free end: said first panel and said second panel each configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration; and a third panel and a fourth panel; wherein the first panel and the second panel, while each is in the first configuration, may form an enclosure of an infant's crib in conjunction with the third panel and the fourth panel; and wherein the first panel and the second panel each may form a side rail of a standard bed while each is in the second configuration, said side rails abutting against, and extending between, said third panel and said fourth panel.
 33. The article of convertible furniture of claim 32, further comprising a plurality of slats, said slats extending between, and abutting against, the side rails of the standard bed.
 34. The article of convertible furniture of claim 32, wherein the first panel and the second panel each comprises a pair of semi-panels.
 35. The article of convertible furniture of claim 34, wherein each of the pairs of semi-panels is joined in a first orientation in the first configuration and is joined in a second orientation in the second configuration.
 36. The article of convertible furniture of claim 35, further comprising at least one coupler for coupling each of the pairs of semi-panels together in the first orientation and the second orientation.
 37. The article of convertible furniture of claim 32, wherein each of said first and second panels comprises a first rail, a second rail, and a plurality of slats extending between the first and second rails.
 38. The article of convertible furniture of claim 32, wherein said third panel and fourth panel are operable to form a headboard and a footboard, respectively, of the standard bed.
 39. The article of convertible furniture of claim 32, wherein said first panel and said second panel abut against, and extend between, said third panel and said fourth panel while forming the enclosure of the crib.
 40. The article of convertible furniture of claim 32, wherein said first panel in the first configuration, said second panel in the first configuration, and said third panel are operable to form a toddler's bed.
 41. The article of convertible furniture of claim 34, wherein each semi-panel comprises a side member, wherein said side member is vertically oriented when forming part of the infant's crib.
 42. The article of convertible furniture of claim 41, wherein said side member is horizontally oriented when forming part of one of the side rails of the standard bed.
 43. A method of converting a crib into a standard bed, said crib having an enclosure formed from a plurality of panels, including a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel each comprising a pair of side members, said method comprising: disassembling the enclosure of the crib into its constituent panels; reconfiguring the first panel and the second panel of the plurality of panels that formed part of the enclosure of the crib into a pair of side rails for the standard bed; and installing the side rails between the two remaining panels that formed part of the enclosure of the crib in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship; wherein the side members of each the first panel and the second panel are spaced apart and vertically oriented when assembled as a crib; wherein the side members of each the first panel and the second panel are joined end to end and horizontally oriented when assembled as a standard bed.
 44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of installing slats between said side rails.
 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of suspending a frame for a mattress from said slats to thereby form a storage location for the mattress.
 46. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of reconfiguring the first and second panels of the plurality of panels that formed part of the enclosure of the crib into side rails comprises the step disassembling each of the the first and second panels into semi-panels.
 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of rotating the semi-panels by approximately ninety-degrees and rejoining the semi-panels back together.
 48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of rejoining the semi-panels using at least one coupler.
 49. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of installing a box spring and mattress onto the standard bed.
 50. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of installing the side rails using threaded fasteners.
 51. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of providing a headboard for the standard bed from one of the panels.
 52. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of providing a footboard for the standard bed from one of the panels.
 53. The method of claim 43, wherein each of the side rails comprises a plurality of slats extending between two rails.
 54. The method of claim 53, wherein the rails extend from a side member in a substantially parallel relationship to each other.
 55. An article of convertible furniture, comprising: a first panel and a second panel; the first panel and the second panel each comprising a pair of semi-panels; each of the semi-panels comprising a first rail and a second rail extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship from a side member; a plurality of slats extending between the first rail and the second rail of each of the semi-panels; the first rails of each pair of semi-panels joinable together using a coupler; the second rails of each pair of semi-panels joinable together using a coupler; the side members of each pair of semi-panels joinable together end-to-end using a pair of couplers; a third panel having a solid center flanked on either side by a side member; a fourth panel having a pair of rails extending between a pair of side members in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship; a plurality of slats extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship between the pair of rails of the fourth panel; said pair of rails and slats being removably secured to said pair of side members of the fourth panel; wherein said first, second, third and fourth panels may be joined together to form an enclosure of an infant's crib; wherein each of said first and second panels may be reconfigured to form a side rail for a standard bed, said side rails extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship between said third and fourth panels; and wherein said first, second and third panels may be joined together to form a toddler bed.
 56. The article of convertible furniture of claim 10, wherein said toddler's bed comprises a storage location for at least a portion of said fourth panel.
 57. An article of convertible furniture, comprising: a plurality of panels defining an enclosure around a mattress of an infant's crib; a support frame mountable to the plurality of panels to support the mattress within the enclosure formed by the plurality of panels; wherein said plurality of panels are reconfigurable to thereby form part of a standard bed having a pair of spaced apart side rails and a pair of slats extending between the side rails; and wherein said support frame is further mountable to the pair of slats extending between the side rails of the standard bed to thereby form a storage location for said mattress of the infant's crib. 